Keeping it Current in the Ancient City

Mellow Mushroom Comes to Saint Augustine

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:47:00 +0000

Mellow Mushroom is bringing new flavor to the oldest city this June. The restaurant first opened in 1974 by three college students that wanted to share the art of pizza with others. According to their bio on Facebook, the first store was made from an old liquor store down the street from Georgia Tech. The restaurant became so popular they continued to build more throughout Atlanta to accomodate the growing amount of customers. The restaurant is now a franchise and has over 120 different locations nationwide. Their delicious menu has everything from pizzas to vegan friendly foods. This restaurant is just what Saint Augustine needs, and will appeal to everyone. There is a beer club that offers rewards and features local beers monthly, and currently on the Saint Augustine's Facebook page they are taking requests for which beers will be on the menu. They are utilizing social media to bring hype to the restaurant opening and give sneak peaks of the progress being made. If you check out their Facebook page you can view pictures of the construction and any information they may post about this special location. This restaurant will be a great addition to Saint Augustine so stay posted!

By: Caitlin Ludwig

Social Media Isn't Fooling Anyone!

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:58:00 +0000

Happy April Fools Day 2013! If you've gotten this far in the day without falling victim to any pranks, like myself, you must be doing dandy! Or, if you were the mastermind behind the jokes, kudos to you as well. I'll let you in on one jokster who isn't fooling anyone, and that is our little friend known as social media.

Social media is here to stay. Admit it; we live and breathe it. It has become our campanion; someone we can lean on, knowing they will always be there to entertain us and keep us company. A group of people, known as HR experts, have noticed this increasing bond society has made with social media. As a result, they have deemed it one of the "Top 5 Degrees Employers Want Most".

The article, posted on Yahoo! Education, gave a list on the "hot picks" of college bachelor degrees. Communications is ranked #4 as a top degree to have in this day and age, amongst others such as business administration, health care administration, computer programming, and accounting.

HR experts highlighted that social media is a facet of communications that is "super hot right now." They advise that communications majors should:

"gain professional writing, editing, and speaking skills through classes like public relations writing, writing for business and technology, business communication, and advertising and marketing communications."

The article also noted that students who graduate with a bachelors in communication can garner a salary of up to $176,400 (workers in the 90th percentile). Now that is a number that isn't fooling with anyone!

By: Alyssa Wickham

Apple Trademark Rejected

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 02:39:00 +0000

Rebecca Currie

Apple seems to be the always be the leader in electronic production, there name is trademarked everywhere, it seems like nothing could slow them down. Although, today the US Patent and Trademark Office declined Apple’s request for the trademark of Apple mini because they said the descriptive word of MINI doesn’t qualify for a trademark. A trademark simply does not allow other companies to use the licensed name it gives one company or person full rights to that name.

Without the trademark other companies now have the opportunity to branch into the mini IPad device competition. The lack of a trademark will take away Apples advantage in the IPad market allowing the competition to release their own mini iPads and use the name IPad mini.

There are some critics who now believe that the IPad should not even have a trademark since PAD is also a description. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, “the term “MINI” in the applied for mark is also descriptive of a feature of applicant’s product. Specifically, the attached evidence shows this wording means “something that is distinctively smaller than other members of its type or class”. The critics believe that the PAD is just describing the type of device which is compatible with the internet which is represented by the letter I.

Apple is not giving up on receiving the trademark for the Apple mini and has until July 24^th to respond to the Patent office about an amended proposal.

#Apple #iPADmini #trademark

Marriage Debate Goes Viral

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:28:00 +0000

If you're part of social media, it is hard not to notice all the people changing their profile pictures to a red and pink image of an equals sign.

Facebook users all over have been showing their support for equal marriage rights since the beginning of the week as the hearings were taking place in Washington. Justices were hearing cases that regarded the marriage equality argument, specifically California's Proposition 8.

Why "="? Basically, it stands for equality--marriage equality. The Human Rights Campaign's logo is originally a blue and yellow "=" image, and because of the tension surround this issue recently, this red adaptation has gone absolutely viral. This is a testament to the power of social media and the Internet.

Social media users could say that marriage equality has been a "trending topic" and it has definitely sparked its fair share of Facebook statuses and Twitter posts. A lot of hate has surrounded it, though, with those who support traditional marriage values being branded haters and homophobes--which is really nothing new for them. But there's hate spitting from the anti-marriage equality side, too. It would probably be more beneficial to listen to one another instead of shouting slogans and firing insults.

In a world which is now online, it is important for everyone to realize the power of the Internet. Individuals have a way of speaking out and sharing their opinions with anyone who cares to read it. Flammable posts on social networks and controversial blog posts get comments because people are more empowered to raise their voice. Everyone wants to be heard and the Internet, in many ways, makes it possible.

The power of one image to travel to hundreds of thousands of Facebook users and for the debate to rage online even as it was being heard in the Supreme Court is incredible. We live in an age that makes instantaneous communication and rallying possible like never before. Let us use it wisely in our future.

posted by Diana Eales

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:16:00 +0000

St. Augustine Farmer's Markets

St. Augustine is home to several farmers markets throughout the week. Going to these markets is a fun way to get local produce and goods that are almost always fresher and cheaper than any supermarket. These markets offer a great way to get out of the house and help support local vendors. The farmers market has live entertainment, fresh seasonal vegetables, local art, handcrafted cheeses, fresh baked good and so much more. Supporting these local vendors does more then just give you the freshest groceries and unique local art. It helps your community grow financially as well as pumping tax dollars back into your own county. The town has two markets that stand out to me. The Old City Farmers Market and St. Augustine Beach Farmers Market.

The Old City Farmers Market is every Saturday at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on A1A South. It starts at 8.30am and goes till 12.30 pm. Admisson is free and this market is large and offers accessible parking. The vendors are lined up along the entrance of the amphitheater. This market, being the bigger of the two, offers something for everyone in the family. The Old City Farmers Market has a larger variety of and more specialized group of vendors then the Beachside Market. A few that stand out to me are the Banzi tree, the orchid vendor and the local meat vendor. Although at times the market can be very crowded, it is still a great market to take the whole family to shop on a Saturday morning.

The St. Augustine Beach Market is every Wednesday from 7.30am to 12.30pm. It is located on 350 A1A Beach Blvd at the Pier. Parking is located in the pier parking lot that is just minutes from your car. I personally like this market more then the Saturday market. The set up at the pier allows people to flow around the market more freely and see all the vendors without feeling cluttered by the crowd. Also the fact that this market is on a Wednesday keeps the crowd to mostly locals that want to help supports the community. I find this market to be more focused around art & crafts with having 60 artisans as vendors. It does offer local produce, but I feel it lacks in the variety that the Saturday markets offer. Don’t let me fool you, this markets offers more than enough to fill your fridge for the week.

Go see for your self the great products that the St. Augustine Farmers market has to offer. For more information go to www.staugustinefm.com and www.localharvest.org/st-augustine-beach-farmers-market-M17276

By Joe Scheerer

Using Instagram to Enhance Your Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:06:00 +0000

With the vast amount of social media tools that are available to brands today, it is common for some to get left behind the curve and collapse to their demise. To prevent this catastrophic event from happening, there is a very popular up-and-coming social media tool that brands should start using to their advantage. This tool is Instagram and with over 100 million users and counting, this free photo sharing app can take brands to where they want to be.

There are many fun and creative ways that brands can use Instagram to reach their audience. The first way that brands can use Instagram is to create two-way engagement with their audience through contests. Brands can easily develop a contest on Instagram by asking their followers to use a particular hashtag when posting a picture. For example, in 2012 Dunkin Donuts encouraged their customers to celebrate Halloween on Instagram by using the hashtag #DresseDD, which gave an incentive to their followers to dress their Dunkin Donuts cup up and snap a photo. Dunkin Donuts selected their favorite photos and showcased these photos on their social media platforms. This contest was a great way to engage with their customers and create a strong presence on Instagram.

Another way that brands can use Instagram to reach their audience is to show their products. For example, clothing companies can use Instagram to broadcast their new apparel and give their followers a first look at their new collection. Other companies such as food restaurants can use Instagram to show their new menu items and can give their followers a behind the scenes look as to how they create their menu items. Instagram is an innovative tool for brands to show their products in a new and creative light.

The last way that brands can use Instagram in a creative way is to go behind the scenes. Brands such as Nordstrom use Instagram to provide behind the scenes shots from photo shoots and commercials. In addition to providing shots from photo shoots, brands can take pictures at events so that all of their followers can feel that they are at the event with them.

All and all, there are many opportunities for brands to thrive on Instagram. With over 100 million users, Instagram proves to be an innovative tool for a wide variety of users ranging from celebrities such as Justin Bieber to popular companies such as Kohl’s.

-Alexis Mortenson

Carnival Troubles... A Smelly Situation.

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:22:00 +0000

Damage Control has become the norm this month for management and Public Relations at Carnival Cruise Lines as four different ships have experienced some sort of malfunction. The first incident occurred on the Carnival Triumph, dubbed the "cruise from hell"as an engine fire caused a loss of power stranding over 4,000 passengers in the middle of the ocean and leaving bathrooms unusable.
So what has Carnival done to compensate these passengers for the worst vacation of their lives? $500. Yes, only $500 for living in a human waste basket for a week. In 2012, Carnival had a revenue of over $15 billion. I think they have the funds to give those passengers and other potential Carnival cruise goers more of an incentive to travel with their company instead of a competitor such as, say, Royal Caribbean who has had no negative light shed on them in recent years.
On top of insulting its Triumph passengers with just $500, PR at Carnival Cruise Lines has done a terrible job of connecting with its customers through social media or any other media outlet for that instance by keeping mum about the whole situation in general. Carnival CEO Micky Arison, was seen court-side at a Miami Heat game during the whole Triumph fiasco.
Could this month, filled with misery, malfunctions, and failure to communicate to its customers be the fall of one of the most popular cruise lines in the world?

The Benefits of Organic Eating

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:17:00 +0000

Lately, there has been a lot of chatter about organic verse non-organic lifestyles. Many people have heard that organic living is better, but they aren’t aware of exactly how much better. So why choose organic? Many recent studies have shown that the benefits of eating organic greatly exceed industrial agriculture. It benefits many different groups including consumers, farmers, animals and the environment.

It is important that we are aware of what harmful things we are putting into our bodies. Organic farmers grow all of their produce naturally rather than using pesticides or chemical fertilizers that can harm the body. According to the Organic Consumers Association, on average, organic food is 25 percent more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture. Organic food also contains many more minerals that become depleted in foods that are grown with pesticides and chemicals.

One important phrase when dealing with organic food is GMO – genetically modified organism. Food and animals that are grown organic are not genetically modified products; they are raised naturally. Also according to the Organic Consumers Association, eating organic has the potential to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, migraines, dementia, and hyperactivity.

Many people shy away from organic eating because they see the prices of organic products at grocery stores compared to regular products. Consumers need to realize that the health benefits of organic foods are worth the slight price increase. It is much safer because they do not contain of all of the toxins that industrial agriculture does. Also, organic produce and agriculture can be purchased at much lower prices than industrial products at local farmers markets. By shopping at farmers markets, consumers are supporting the local economy.

So the choice is yours. An organic lifestyle will improve overall health and add many other benefits. There are some downfalls but the overall positive effects people obtain by eating organic outweigh the negatives. It is important that people become educated on this subject because of the increasing amount of pesticides and hormones that are used in industrial agriculture.

Abby Meyers
Social Media for Public Relations

The Power of Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:40:00 +0000

Pinterest has become one of the fastest growing social networks of all time. 15% of American Internet users are on Pinterest, that’s only one percent less then the 16% of American users on twitter.

If you’re not familiar with Pinterest or how it works, I will explain briefly, it allows you to create and manage themed photo and video collections and share them with your friends and other connections. Even though the majority of Pinterest users are women, it attracts a diverse age demographics. Pinterest allows you to do all the same things you do on any other social media platform but is more visual. Pinterst allows you to “like” and comment boards, “follow” friends, “pin” and “re-pin” content to their own board, and share photo and video content.

Now Pinterest isn’t all fun and games, It actually can allow you to boost your website traffic by adding an embedded share buttons on your webpage. By adding the "pin-it" button to your web page will encourage your visitors to share your visual content on Pinterest. Have you ever thought to add Pinterst to your blog page along with Twitter and Facebook? Well, I think it’s a great idea to use this visual social network to captivate a wider audience. Remember, the key to Pinterest is to create inventive and exciting themes for your “pin-boards”.

If your still not convinced to use pinterest for business , I came across this infographic that gives you a close up look as to why Pinterest is great for business. Forbes also released an article called “5 reasons Pinterest is a Must for Business Marketers” .

Brianna Bradford

Potato Parties: the social media is hungry for more

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:40:00 +0000

I saw this article and immediately had to find out more. “Potato parties” are the new social media trend in Asia. It began last fall in Japan when McDonalds ran a special on fries and kids took advantage of the deal and posted their feast to Instagram, however as the trend is spreading to South Korea, kids are being reprimanded for their stunts.

A Potato party is essentially a group of friends going into a fast food establishment (Usually McDonalds) and ordering as many French fries as possible, then dumping the food onto the table, for the perfect Instagram post, and proceeding to feast on their cholesterol drenched meal. While restaurant employees are enraged by the new trend that has swept social media, this is not the first fast food inspired social media stunt.

Don’t you remember “Coning” (going through a drive-thru ordering an icecream cone and picking it up by the ice cream before driving away), or even the mythical Chipotle “Quesorito”( a quesadilla wrapped around a burrito)? Youtube and Instagram are encouraging teens to perform food related social media stunts in order to get attention and avoid boring hours spent simply loitering. With the new trending line “pics or it didn’t happen,” social media is driving kids to make potato history and irritate restaurant employees in the process.

Do you think social media is to blame for "potato parties"?

Posted By Stefani Hermann

Star Running Back Arian Foster Quitting Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:50:00 +0000

Arian Foster, the Houston Texans star running back has announced on Monday that he will be shutting down his twitter account. In his first four years of work Foster has been extremely impressive. Rushing for 4,521 yards and 44 touchdowns. This type of production is unbelievable for the undrafted Tennessee native.
Since day one in the NFL Foster has raised eye brows on and off the field. He is one of the most active athletes in the social media realm. According to NBC Sports Foster is best known for his trash talk, and crazy odd personality. His most famous tweet came when he posted an image of his MRI and described the injury in his hamstring by writing that the “white stuff surrounding the muscle is known in the medical world as anti-awesomeness.” Foster also made it known that he was a Vegan by announcing it via twitter.

It is a sad day for a lot of followers of Foster. Hopefully we will see a comeback from Foster in social media. But could you blame him? Twitter is a great tool to connect with fans and friends but it only takes one bad tweet and you can damage your image. I think that there will be a trend with big name athletes shutting down there social media out of the simple fact that it protects them from scrutiny through the media.

Justin Dorow

Pretty Little Liars Knows the Secret to a Great Social Media Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:43:00 +0000

In February, ABC Family’s hit Drama, Pretty Little Liars became Tuesdays most social TV program. The question is why? What tactics does this entertaining TV program use and why does it have such success?

One of the obvious reasons for the programs social media success is it’s constant activity on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to promote the series. It’s difficult to keep an audience engaged in between episodes and seasons of a TV series, but Pretty Little Liars excels at doing just that.

On Facebook Pretty Little Liars has 10,128,729 likes and they keep their fans engaged by releasing a new album each week with photos from the upcoming episode. This creates a ton of engagement; fans comment and speculate on what’s happening in the photos and what is going to happen in the next episode. Videos are also posted with previews to what’s coming next. The conversations that spawn from these posts are on a broad range of topics, from what an actress was wearing, to information on a new character. Facebook tabs are also used in an ingenious way. One of the Facebook tabs you have to “like to unlock” which unlocks a special sneak peak of the next episode if you like the Pretty Little Liars Facebook page.

Pretty Little Liars also has fun and creative Twitter campaigns. In one instance the show launched a Twitter-based scavenger hunt, during which one of the characters tweeted – in real time from her fictional Twitter account @MonaVanderwall. She tweeted clues for discovering a video that won’t be seen in any on-air episode.

ABC Family realized there was a lag between seasons in their social media interaction. They fixed this by creating an eight-part web series that plays between seasons and will give hints of what’s to come for the following season. During the summer break of season three they launched the first web series and it was a hit, with over 3 million video views.

This may be just another teen drama, but I think this is a great example of what can be achieved with social media and is something we can learn from. Linking a television show to interaction through social media is something I believe almost every television show should practice. Why not create a space online where your audience can interact with the show itself and each other? If other television shows don’t catch on to the connection between television and social media, they will fall behind.

-Leah Drayer

Mumford and Sons Stopover in St. Augustine

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:18:00 +0000

The world famous band, Mumford and Sons, recently announced St. Augustine as one of just three U.S. stopovers for their 2013 world tour. On September 13th through the 14th, the Gentlemen of the Road tour will make their first-ever appearance in Florida for the two-day music festival.

According to Mumford and Sons, a stopover is “in towns not usually heavily toured by bands, and [to] celebrate the people, food and music that inhabit them. We’re keen to promote the town’s local businesses, and we’ll be using the local bars and venues for aftershow parties, whilst working closely with the local people to get everyone involved in making these shows spectacular.”

In addition to Mumford and Sons, the band announced Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros will be performing at the festival as well as Fun, The Vaccines, Half Moon Run, Willy Mason, Those Darlins and Bear’s Den.

The event will be held on the Francis Field, located next to the St. Augustine parking garage. Tickets went on sale Friday, February 7th, selling at $109 a piece, and within 72 hours, the concert was completely sold out.

According to First Coast News, City Manager, John Ragan said “a task force is already in place to accommodate the 25,000 people who will descend upon a city of only 13,000+ residents.” It is estimated that all hotels in the area will be fully booked during this weekend long event.

Formed in 2007, Mumford and Sons are an English folk-rock band. The four-member all male group is composed of lead singer and guitarist, Marcus Mumford; drummer, Ben Lovett; banjo player, "Country" Winston Marshall; and guitarist, Ted Dwane.

For more information on Mumford and Sons, go to www.gentlemenoftheroad.com.

- Kelcee Mader

How Old Is Too Old?

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 23:05:00 +0000

Bullying. Cyberbullying.

What was your initial reaction to the terms?

I thought of middle and high school children. Levels of immature behavior with no clue about the horrible side affects to the behavior. The media does a good job of covering the more alarming stories. Although, in my opinion they are all serious.

Cyber bullying has taken center stage. It gives users a false sense of power, a power to type things they don't have the guts to say face to face. They hide behind a monitor and type these harmful statements and gain ban wagoners to escalate the issue.

Sadly, society has conformed to almost accept bullying in all its forms and handle it at its worst.
What I think is worse, is when grown ups, adults stoop down to the middle and high school levels, and take prestigious world renowned NFL teams with them.

A fan based, unofficial Facebook page was created for the NFLs Chicago Bears. Kaitlyn Collens, former cheerleader for the NFL Green Bay Packers, came to find out her picture was the center of derogatory, rude and vulgar comments about her appearance and her fellow team. As a grown women, affiliated with NFL is a victim of Cyberbullying.

When Collins reached out to Facebook, to help do something about it, they claimed it doesn't meet their standards of Cyberbullying. How can standards be put in place when it comes a person of any ages, self-esteem, emotions and self- worth?

Striving to make a difference, Collins shared her story and personal YouTube video with host Savannah Guthrie on NBC Today Show,

All users of social networking, need to work together and learn how to use the internet correctly, use it for the good it can provide. I believe in respect and equality for all, how can we make a difference to put this epidemic to rest!

-Bianca Rufino

Ambushed by a Deodorant Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Everyone has heard of reality television, but what about reality advertisements? For some innocent bystanders in an airport waiting area, the concept became all too real.

Nivea is a maker of skin care products and the company is based in Germany, where the ad takes place. Several waiting passengers in the airport were targeted unknowingly to be in an ad for Nivea’s new product, Stress Protect deodorant. The concept of the ad was to cause a person stress, which Nivea succeeded in doing with flying colors!

Each target had their photograph taken without their knowledge. The photo was then quickly inserted and printed on the front page of a newspaper with headlines indicating that the photographed person was a wanted criminal and highly dangerous. With the entire thing being filmed, an actor would sit within eye-shot of the targeted person with the fake newspaper so the target would see their own face on the front page. Obvious stress and panic starts to overcome the target.

As if that were not enough, an announcement comes on over the intercom with a full description of the targeted person’s appearance and a request to report any sighting of the individual to authorities immediately. Following the announcement, what appears to be a real news broadcast (which is in fact being filmed live from another area in the airport) comes on the televisions stationed in the airport. The news anchor reports with the same photo in view that the identified target is dangerous and on the run and pleads citizens to report any sightings or whereabouts to authorities.

We see the targeted individual on camera sitting in the airport looking panic-stricken and frazzled. Stressed seems to be an understatement at this point. Other passengers in the airport waiting area are beginning to stare, point and whisper. Then, out of nowhere, several men dressed as the authorities carrying big steel briefcases enter and surround the targeted individual. One of them asks her, “Are you stressed?” while opening the briefcase to reveal Nivea’s Stress Protect deodorant. Relief washes over the targeted woman’s face as she realizes she has not been confused for a wanted criminal, but rather is the target of a hoax.

If she wasn't wearing Nivea’s Stress Protect deodorant, chances are she may want to change her clothes.

- Samantha Ayres

Social Media and the Pope

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:49:00 +0000

When Pope Benedict XVI steps down on February 28 he will not only be handing the seat as Pope off to the next person elected but he will also be relinquishing his social media accounts. His most prominent social media account is his Twitter @Pontifex since sending his first tweet on December 12 the Pope has sent over 30 tweets and has amassed over 1.5 million followers. Thats a pretty large following.

When originally making the Pope’s twitter account Forbes Magazine reports that the Vatican’s officials were hesitant to make the original account because of all of the negativity that may surround the creating. Monsignor Paul Tighe who is one of the leaders of the Popes social media efforts even said that when Benedict originally posted they did receive some nasty and spiteful attention. He also added though that while there was some negativity like they'd planned there was also a lot of goodness to come out of the creation. It will most likely be considered a stepping stone to getting the next Popes messages out to the world faster than ever and with more reach than ever before.

When people talk about Pope Benedict in the future it is possible that they will speak about him in a manner that he was the Pope to bring the Vatican into the digital age. Benedict's Successor will have an amazing opportunity for himself to be able to grab the bull by the horns and jump head first into the social media world.One of the first steps that may need to be taken for the next pope is to have someone on board who truly understands social media. The current system while it is the best they can do is not necessarily working. The entire Vatican is running its social media without a single social media expert.

Pope Benedict XVI sending his first Tweet via an iPad. Picture: The Guardian, UK

The next few months will be hectic while the selecting of a new pope is going on but when he he takes the reins he will be getting into just a little bit more than most Popes are usually getting into.

- Joey Frongillo

Love Your Planet

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:34:00 +0000

To be completely honest with all of you I’ll admit I’m not much of recycler at home and I don’t check to see if all the lights are off when I go to sleep at night. When I think of sustainability the only thing that comes to me is “thinking green” and a bunch of tree huggers. But after hearing about how our class was going to help with Flagler College’s “Love Your Planet” event I started to do some research on what sustainability really means. Sustainability is based on an idea of continual improvements to making our lives better each and every day. It is little things here and there that can impact the future of our planet not just for you but your kids one day and your grandchildren and so on. Little things like not running the water the whole time when you’re brushing your teeth or turning off the TV when you take a nap can really make an impact. I had no idea how easy it would be to make a difference it just takes a little bit extra, and that’s what this event is all about celebrating our planet and the continual efforts to keep it beautiful. I am so excited to go to Love Your Planet on Monday 10-5, it’s going to be such a blast! With live music, art competitions, and guest speakers it’s going to be a great day. Let’s all celebrate our planets beauty and come to the Love Your Planet Event.

Justin Dorow

Man Creates Bicycle Made of Cardboard: Recyclable and Fire Resistant

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:49:00 +0000

An Israeli inventor creates a bike using recycled cardboard. It’s water resistant and fire resistant, weighs very little and looks really cool.

Completely environmentally friendly it took the inventor 3-4 months to develop the concept for one of the coolest bikes I've ever seen.

Developing the bike in his back yard, the inventor used the art of Japanese paper folding to make sure the cardboard was strong enough to support enough weight to carry a passenger.

The finished bicycle cost only 9 dollars to make and the inventor plans to make baby carriages and wheel chairs out of cardboard.

Follow the link below to see the full story and video of this miraculous invention.

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbcnews.com/48987448#48987448

-Leah Drayer

Flagler College Love Your Planet Day 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:26:00 +0000

#LYP

Trends and fades can sometimes turn into global phenomenon’s and become the new hype. Look at social media, “MySpace” and “High5” two of many examples that started out as a trend and have evolved into world renowned phenomenon. Then there are some trends that slowly died out with time. Who remembers “Heelys”? They were the most popular sneaker type shoe around, they faded out and something else came along and well there went Heeleys.
In a similar fashion to social media, the “going green” and “environmentally friendly” epidemic went viral. From grocery shopping bags to light bulbs, communities, corporations and local businesses have all caught on. Now, college campuses across the Nation are making a collective effort to do their part and to gain sustainability within their campus. Flagler College, in St. Augustine, FL., has joined this initiative and has been working to make this change in campus lifestyle for three years now.
On Feb. 11, 2012, Flagler College’s sustainability committees along with local business around town are going to hit home this year. They are making “Love Your Planet Day” a fun and interactive experience for all faculty, staff and students.
This article from the Examiner online, address how other college campus’ have conserved energy and water, and what they have done about it.
http://www.examiner.com/article/collective-impact-of-reducing-energy-and-water-consumption-on-college-campuses

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out what else Flagler College’s sustainability committee is working on, as well as a detailed timetable of the events for Love Your Planet Day.

https://twitter.com/Loveyourplanet1

https://www.facebook.com/FlaglerCollegeLoveYourPlanetDay2013?ref=hl

Facebook Advertisements

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:52:00 +0000

Facebook customizes its ads based on what you want to see. Advertising accounts for the majority of Facebook’s revenue. It’s controversial to some, because people don’t think that they should be paying to advertise on Facebook. But the ads are what keep Facebook as we know it free.

Advertising on Facebook, using Facebook on websites (like button), using Facebook to access social graphs on mobile apps (less usernames and passwords) and building apps on Facebook. Facebook makes most of its money off ads, and in turn these ads keep Facebook free.

Paying to promote these services not only helps to keep Facebook free but also helps you reach people who aren’t connected to your page yet. You can choose how much you want to pay and how many users you will reach. You can decide which posts to promote. It helps users increase their reach.

Many people are opposed to paying for adds and posts on Facebook. But many users don’t know the benefits of it.

Alex Holmes

A Beastly Affair

noreply@blogger.com (money can buy you love) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 01:19:00 +0000

Movie Review on Beastly and links to social media

There are many ways to inject a contemporary twist on a story as old as age. Unfortunately, Beastly fell short on this venture on so many counts. What was meant to be an “edgy teen” take on Beauty and the Beast soon turned into a laughable and embarrassing attempt at cinematographic magic.

To expound, Kyle Kingson played by Alex Pettyfer, our beast in question has had it all, looks, intelligence, wealth and apparently, as marketed by CBS, a “wicked cruel streak”. However, all the viewers actually end up witnessing of this “wicked cruel streak” is a joke played on Kingson’s unattractive and weird classmate Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen).

His crime? Inviting Kendra to the school’s environmental bash and then dissing her, which to me is hardly an action to validate Kingson’s wicked and cruel behavior. Sure, he’s quite the douche but wicked and cruel? Hardly.

As expected, Kendra is magically pegged a witch just because she’s perceived “weird” by the rest of society. An idea that Hollywood constantly impresses on young indelible minds that being different and wearing thick eye make up constitutes a Witches’ uniform.

Hence, catalyzing the notion that if people think you’re weird, you probably are a witch.

Ridiculous.

Or should I say Ridikulus, a spell from Harry Potter, cast three folds more convincing than Kendra’s “diabolical audio-tuned curse chanting voice” which eventually turns Kingson into the “beast”.

Perhaps this is the most embarrassing part of the film; the viewer’s realization that the producers are all complete idiots and that their idea of a “Beast” or a person so ugly that none can bear to see him and be unafraid, takes its form in a bald, lean teenager with six pack abs and a few scars and tattoos on his face and back. We quickly recognize that the producers have never taken a walk through reality and are completely unaware that their idea of “beastly” is highly skewed from the rest of us.

The Beast in Beastly looks neither scary nor un-human like. He just looks, in Hollywood’s terms, bad-ass. The fact that the Beast fails to look the least beastly makes the whole story fall apart as the premise just ceases to pull any weight henceforth. Had I not been on a plane with a shared TV, I would have just turned off the movie immediately. Highly awake and stuck watching it, I braved my way through the rest of the movie. Slowly but surely, ploughing my way through the bad acting, courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens who unfortunately for the audience plays “the beauty”, also known as Lindy.

Anyhow, the story continues where Kingson is banished to Brooklyn (because surely, that’s the modern day deserted castle) by his father who thinks his son is too ugly…to…be seen? And given a blind tutor and an arbitrary housekeeper (LisaGay Hamilton) for goodwill. Surely no self-loving person could type this and not face palm herself a few times. Wait a minute; let’s back up here. His father felt he was too ugly so he sent him to Brooklyn to be taught by a blind tutor. And that makes sense, why? Because he’s blind and won’t judge his son? Is it just me, or is this shallowness really paving the way for this obvious blockbuster of the century? Oh silly me! The producers made Neil Patrick Harris the blind tutor, people love him. Therefore, this role must not be doubted.

A few scenes later, -Insert sappy montage of Kingson trying to woo Lindy’s heart after she is forced to live with them- Don’t even get me started on this. They fall in love, Lindy doesn’t kiss him to break the curse, something about the airport, They kiss. End of story.

Towards the end of the movie, my mind was just drifting off at the obvious lack of intellect being put into the production of the film. The only saving grace of this film would possibly be the direction of photography. It was mostly shot with rather classy composition, unlike the many “plot thin, bad acting” films I’d previously screened.

Thankfully, Beastly only garnered a 19% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. There is hope for society yet. I can’t say the same for producers Susan Cartsonis, Roz Weisberg and Michael Flynn though.

They’re just, ridikulus.

Here is the trailer from Beastly:

Having read my movie review on abysmal film, Beastly, one can only imagine what a flop it must have been at the box office. Unfortunately, this film went on to make 29 million dollars and cementing my thoughts on how Social Media can indeed sway a sinking ship. (They utilized Youtube and Facebook to promote their film)

Written by: Lois Goh

Social Media: More Than "Farmville" and "Words With Friends"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:21:00 +0000

"All these whippersnappers playing around on their MyFace and Tweetering what they had for dessert is just a waste of time! Their social networking shenanigans are just a passing fad, and shouldn't be taken seriously in the workforce!"

No, that isn't your grandmother prattling away with her girlfriends while playing Bingo, but rather the overall opinion of several U.S. businesses, according to a recent article from UPI.com.

The issue is that many businesses just don't understand how to take advantage of social media, and therefore don't know how to develop clear corporate strategies for this valuable tool. The article goes on to say that the main concern of businesses, regarding social media sites, is the "lack of data tied to return of investment."

The challenge with gauging success is that the communication forum of social media sites take businesses to an uncharted territory full of new opportunities that aren't available with traditional communication methods.

Although the waters may appear murky, the article concludes that businesses should simply take a deep breath and dive in, as the ocean of social media offers almost limitless possibilities.

What can Social Media Do for You?

For starters, social media allows for optimized word-of-mouth recommendations, and the forum for such discussion is a lot broader than merely tweeting about a company. YouTube videos, blog posts and Facebook campaigns are just a handful of potential conversation starters.

Once the word gets out, your company's message doesn't end there. Now the user shares their opinion and experiences with their friends, who in turn share it with their friends and so on and so forth. What better way to advertise your brand than by having your audience plug your company on their own?

You Still Don't Want to Go Social, huh?

Well, no one can make you join social networking sites and participate in this open forum for transparency and discussion, but that doesn't mean your competitors want to miss out. Social media isn't merely a passing fad, but like it or not, it's a forum of communication that is here to stay.

So, why fight it? Your audience is out there right now, looking for outlets to communicate with their peers and more importantly, you. So if you aren't up to date with how they want to communicate, they'll look elsewhere.

Even if your audience isn't completely complimentary of your company, you can still take that knowledge and use it to your company's advantage. Just like in real life, it takes time and effort to build meaningful relationships with your audience, but social media is a great start as it shows your audience that you are there and listening.

Measuring Return on Investment

As pointed out earlier, this is a valid concern of many businesses. After all, you are putting not only your time and money on the line, but most importantly, your company's brand. Fortunately, there are many programs both free and subscription based, that are designed to show you the your social media ventures are effecting your company's success.

A popular free site is Social Mention, which tracks what your audience is saying about your company, and makes it easy to see what they like and don't like. TrackUr is another valuable tool, that can help monitor your social media efforts. There are also similar programs like Tweet Effect, which gauges the success of your company's tweets, and Facebook Insights, which is available on the Facebook page and visible by the page's administrator.

In today's ever-evolving world of communication it is crucial for your business to actively participate in social media. The key to business success is to establish and nurture relationships via the forum of your audience's choosing.

There is so much more to social media than simply posting photos of cats and writing snarky status updates. It is vital you to appreciate this valuable tool, and to know how to use it to benefit your company, and establish it as an industry leader.

By: Laura Modrall

Weather and the Social Media Wave

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Severe weather and natural disasters can change our lives. In an instant a persons world can be turned upside down by some form of severe weather or natural disaster. In a world filled with technology, meteorology has come a long way in forecasting and predicting weather. It is no doubt pivotal to saving the lives of those in harms way, but what about after weather strikes? In the case of severe weather and natural disasters there is no calm after the storm. Now include social media into the mix, and of course, it makes a huge impact.

What social media has done is not only give up to date weather forecasts before a storm, but keep those affected informed in the wake of a disaster. After such storms as Hurricane Katrina, Sandy or the tsunami in Japan social media allows those ravaged by the storm to stay informed. twitter can give those in New York suffering from Hurricane Sandy the fastest updates regarding shelters, power, first aid, FEMA and other valuable tools for survival.

If someone was questioning the success of social media's involvement in severe weather and natural disasters one would have to compare the aftermath of storms prior to the social media groundswell. Hurricane Andrew for example, struck south Florida in 1992 and left the region in utter chaos. People trapped in their homes or other shelters were isolated from the outside world. According to Leysia Palen, assistant professor in the computer science department at the University of Colorado at Boulder and director of the ConnectivIT lab says that "its becoming more organized". That as social media is evolving so is its reach, and its impact on situations like natural disasters. Palen also pointed to the Virgina Tech shooting as an example of the effects of social media as a viable news source. Students wanted to know the latest information and social media sites like Facebook gave it to them.

Social media can also be used as a fundraising tool. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti the American Red Cross implemented a text message donation campaign that with every text $10 was donated to the relief fund. To spread awareness of this fundraising campaign the message went viral. Posting information on Facebook and twitter ahead of media sources resulted in over $30 million in donations just a month after the disaster.

The social media groundswell has changed virtually every aspect of peoples daily lives. It has grown in such a short time and continues to grow faster each day. This new arena that social media has entered regarding weather could be the most practical and rewarding subject matter because it can save lives. Some may disagree with the rapid growth of social media and there is no denying that social media has its pros and cons, but when it comes to saving the lives of people if it can help, we should not hesitate to use it.

Could there be a Cyber War?

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:17:00 +0000

A growing threat to this nation is digital warfare, and the concern is if our nation is ready to handle it. In a recent article put out by Time Magazine, Defense Secretary Panetta issued a nationwide warning that something could be brewing in the near future. He is sounding the alarm to put everyone on notice.

“The whole point of this is that we simply don’t just sit back and wait for a goddamn crisis to happen,” Panetta told Time. “In this country we tend to do that, and that’s a concern.”

Could defense Secretary Panetta be over reacting, well maybe that is your own opinion? To me it seems like he is sending out a legitimate warning about this issue. With the world the way it is today some specialist are referring to it as a possible “Cyber Pearl Harbor”. Which I believe is credible. Our defenses on our shorelines and borders are extremely strong but are our defenses over the internet as strong. Could we possibly defend ourselves against a nationwide cyber-attack?

I don’t think this nation is ready to defend against such attack. We have so much access to the internet it is so hard for the government to monitor it all at the same time. The threat could be something as simple as a mass email that strikes at one time and no one could possibly predict when that will hit the main stream web. And what about hackers…. Now that’s a whole other topic on its own. But the truth is we, as a nation, are not ready for such attacks.

Look at it, the government is currently hiring hackers to help them out, and the secret is most of these hackers have hacked into the governments system before. The government is using them with the philosophy: If you can’t stop them hire them to help defend against others.

Is our nation truly prepared for a cyber-attack? I can only hope so but with more and more four-year-olds running around with iPhone and tablets, we can only wonder because we put the internet right in the palm of their hands. And I do not believe they will be able to tell if a pop-up isn’t a hacker trying to worm their way into their system.

This is a growing concern for the United States and there could possibly be an attack brewing at any moment, the internet is just so unpredictable.

By: Cristina Coca

How To Increase Profit For Your Business Using Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Flagler College Social Media Class) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:38:00 +0000

There are many useful media outlets offered online to enhance small and large businesses alike. One of the many social media outlets to do so is twitter. Through the insightful article,” 5 Twitter Tips forBuilding Your Business,” written by Michael Brito I found exciting ways to get your business on the map.

First and foremost, Twitter is a great tool for businesses to raise awareness and share news about their company. One of the great tips offered by the article is to do research and understand what is trending on twitter. This is an exciting part because you get to explore the tool and understand what your company can benefit from. Developing a trending component in twitter in turn will heighten your followers and raise awareness of your business.

Furthermore, you must develop goals for your business. What are the objectives? What would you like to accomplish? Then from there you can create the company’s twitter page to attack those goals and ultimately achieve them. Also, when creating the twitter page you can choose what kind of page you would like for your company, a company page, personal page or a hybrid page that incorporates you and the business.

To further take advantage of twitter you must build your credibility on the profile. This can be accomplished by consistency in posts, to accurate expert advice, to reliable and effective information. This would ultimately result in developing and building relationships with the follower, which is a key element in creating a successful social media profile.

Finally social media, twitter, is a great space to measure and evaluate success. Through tweets, re-tweets, tweet-ups, likes and comments you can evaluate how your business is doing.

Twitter is an opportunity to be hands on with your followers and business and reach a higher and more successful point for your business’s future.

By: Heather Holtzendorf